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Drivers react to Allmendinger suspension, NASCAR drug testing policy

July 12, 2012

Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, and Jimmie Johnson both weighed in on the A.J. Allmendinger suspension on Friday at Loudon. Photo by LAT Photographic

Even though A.J. Allmendinger is sitting out this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Loudon, New Hampshire, he's still the talk of the garages and a main topic of discussion at driver press conferences. Here's some of what's been said Friday at Loudon:

KEVIN HARVICK

Q: What was your reaction to the A.J. Allmendinger suspension and were you surprised NASCAR took somebody out of the car just a few hours before the race?

KH: “Well we've been busy this week so I haven't had a huge chance to keep up with where that has all progressed to. But, obviously I know the situation that you are referring to. The timing obviously, I don't necessarily understand 100 percent the timing of why that takes so long. It seemed like an odd situation to be right before the race. I think as we go through the next weeks and obviously I think there is a B test that is going to happen. I really want to wait and just kind of see all the facts and really understand exactly where everything is at. The timing did seem unique to be honest with you for the team and everybody to react. But, obviously that is all handled from the outside company. You hate to see all that happen and hopefully it's something that can be explained to everybody so we know if there is something that is out of bounds that is something from over the counter or something that is just pretty obvious. So, we'll just wait and see all the facts as they come out.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Q: What was your reaction to the whole A.J. Allmendinger thing? Did you reserve judgement? Did you jump to judgement? What did you think?

J.J.: “I was certainly shocked to see that, especially the way that it unfolded so late in the day on Saturday prior to the start of the race. But I've reserved judgment. I'm not sure I'd get any answers if I talked to anyone, but in reading the articles and watching it unfold, really through all of your hands (media) and I just don't know where the truth is or what's really going on. But in time we'll all find out.

Q: Do you take supplements? Have you checked or double-checked those since that happened?

J.J. “I haven't double-checked them, but I did check my supplements prior to taking them. I just followed the protocol that's laid out in the rule book and I've talked to Dr. Black myself and the staff that's involved from the supplement side. And also, on the medical side, with NASCAR; which is a different group, on my prescription things that I take for allergies and all that kind of stuff. So I just follow the protocol and everything has been fine.”

Q: On Allmendinger, were you surprised that NASCAR would pull somebody out of a car just a few hours before the race? Have you ever had your A sample questioned and then had to explain and then they said OK?

J.J.“No, I've never had a sample questioned. Again, prior to taking supplements I worked out the list that I wanted to take and submitted it and four or five days later I heard back that everything was approved. It's just stuff you buy at GNC anyway, so I don't think there's a ton of concern. But on the medical side, again, at the start of each year when we get our physicals, I make sure I lay out anything. I think I've had some prescription changes mid-season, and I make sure that I file those as well. And that's been it. I'm not all that familiar with the process. I learned a lot through how things unfolded. Initially I thought the issue was from the Daytona weekend. I didn't realize that it was Kentucky, and it took that long to get the results back. So, I've just been trying to get up to speed on the whole process myself. I guess when you're not in question; you just go about your day and don't worry about it. But we're all paying attention now and wondering.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Q: You talked about being curious and nervous because of maybe a lack of details so far in the A.J. situation. Do you do anything, do you ask NASCAR questions or do you ask them about that situation or about anything that you might be taking, or do you just stay curious, nervous hoping nothing happens to you?

D.E.“I go ask questions. If you are curious about anything I think the policy to be able to go up in that hauler and ask anybody what you want to know is been always pretty good for me. I've never been turned away, never felt like I didn't get an honest answer or feel better when I walked out of there. I mean everybody is just kind of nervous about not knowing nothing. Everybody is curious about it and nervous I guess, I don't know.”

Q: Are you nervous because you are worried about something happening to you when you get tested, or are you nervous about wondering what is going on with other drivers?

D.E. “Not really either one. I'm more nervous about it being a mistake or the agency making a mistake and it being a big problem for the sport. Just knowing all the guys that I race against, I wouldn't have never guessed. I don't look at anybody in the sport and have any worries about them or any curiosities about anybody's activities away from the race track. Everybody to me looks up and up. I feel rock solid about myself too. It's just you don't want; you just don't know how that could happen. It's just hard to wrap your head around anybody making a mistake or a driver making a mistake or the agency making a mistake, you just don't know. It's hard to wrap your head around it.”

CARL EDWARDS

Q: Your reaction to the Allmendinter test, and how do you feel about the testing policy. Have you ever had an A sample that needed to be cleared up?

C.E. “No, I've never had any positive tests or anything like that. I've thought pretty hard about that. I think we're all kind of in a position where, let's be honest, it's an imperfect world. People are imperfect. Tests are imperfect. The people who make different products sometimes use factories – one of the first things my trainer told me when he started working with me is he said, 'Be careful. Anything you ingest is made somewhere and you don't know what that factory was making the day before it made the product you're using.' Even if it's just like a weight protein powder or something like that, you have to watch what you ingest. My point is that I think until the drivers, this is just my theory, I think the drivers need to get together and we need to have our own group that is paid by us, that works for us, to be here in tandem with the NASCAR drug testers and have them test us at the same time so that we have not just an A and B sample, but an A and B testing facility, and we can all agree on that facility, it's no big deal. I don't think it would be a contentious thing, I think that would remove almost all doubt in any situation of a positive test. If a driver had someone that they could go to and say, 'Hey look, this is my representative. They tested at the same time on the same day and we have this result.' If the results are the same, obviously I think we'd all agree that it was a positive, and if they're different, I think it would give a different perspective. But I think until we do that, no matter what is found to be positive, no matter what the test results are, there is always gonna be that little question of, 'Maybe there was a mistake.'”

Q: Have you had any discussion about that?

C.E. “I don't know. I think that was brought up by somebody early on in this testing stuff with the testing policy, but I don't know that there's been anymore serious discussion, and that's just something I thought of a little bit this week because, really, at the end of the day what does a guy that doesn't drink, use any drugs, have any chance of being in violation, what does that guy really have to gain by subjecting himself to these tests? He has the potential, that is real because it's an imperfect world, of having some sort of false positive or having something happen. I think that's really scary for a lot of the guys in this sport when you go in there and subject yourself to that.”

JEFF GORDON

Q: What was your reaction to the A.J. Allmendinger issue? Matt Kenseth said he didn't think NASCAR would have done anything if they didn't have some rock-solid evidence.

J.G.“I think we've got to wait to hear more results. I hope we get a full story. I haven't asked anybody or talked to anybody that has any real details and I don't even know if they're capable of giving those details. But you'd certainly like to know what it is. Obviously the test came back with something positive. So, I have pretty strong faith in that system that when it happens, that they're right. But what could have caused it? Is it something very minor that could have caused it or is it yeah, somebody made a mistake or that it definitely should have shown up that way. So, I was shocked. I didn't expect it. I definitely have had a great relationship with AJ on and off the race track and didn't see that one coming.”